Question

Alcohol consumption adversely affects the digestion of proteins within liver cells, which can eventually lead to liver damage. Given this information, which organelle in liver cells is most directly affected?
A. Nucleus
B. Golgi apparatus
C. Rough ER
D. Lysosome

Answer 1

“Alcohol consumption adversely affects the digestion of proteins within liver cells, which can eventually lead to liver damage” this statement is true at its peak. The liver breaks down and it filters the harmful substance from the blood, alcohol which comes in complexes if taken regularly decreases the efficiency of the liver functioning which in turn damages the liver.

Complete answer:
It takes about an hour for our body to digest the alcohol. This time frame increases with each extra dose of alcohol. Higher the concentration of alcohol in the blood more time it will take to digest. Lysosomes are the organelles which have hydrolytic enzymes which help in the digestion and metabolism of toxic and complex compounds like alcohol. Alcohol consumed is digested and degraded by these lysosomes which in turn decrease the rate of digestion and degradation of other complex compounds this result in decreasing efficiency of liver to digest such complex compounds which eventually leads to damage to the liver. Chronic alcohol abuse can cause diseases like cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis.

Hence the correct option is (D) Lysosomes.

Additional information: About 15% to 30% of heavy drinkers are diagnosed with cirrhosis each year in our country, but the majority of them with this disease survive if they seek treatment.

Note: Cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis include symptoms like yellowish skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, nausea and vomiting, itchy skin, discoloured stool, swelling in legs and ankles, weakness, loss of appetite and many more. Disease caused by alcohol can easily be avoided by not using this complex beverage.